Enigma Panel

ABSTRACT

The problem is to get good quantities of radiant ‘infrared’ energy to pass through the glass panes of modern day fireplace heat-tempered glass doors. The obvious answer is not to use glass of any sort because infrared heat waves cannot pass freely through glass. Yet all the popular fireplace insert makers use thick tempered glass commonly in all their fireplace brochures. Infrared heat is strong and powerful by itself, but when it tries to pass through glass it loses its infrared energy. Glass is a “killer” to radiant infrared heat waves. Quite by accident thin film was tried as a reasonable test door and for a fireplace it was an acceptable success except for plastic memory and flame damage. Trials using mil-thick transparent film and a metal support grid in close contact give suitable results until industry can devise a better heat-tolerant transparent plastic panel. Until then the best heat pass-through is the “film-grid” combination or “Enigma Panel”.

CROSS REFERENCE

This sub-spec contains no new matter.

This application started out as a Continuation-In-Part to: “Residential Fireplace Insert System”, (U.S. Pat. No. 7,509,954), now a separate patent application for the Enigma Panel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

These improvements relate to the normal advancements, innovations and improvements discovered during the almost three-year period the patent application was winding its way through the examination process. In few words these discoveries center around a mechanical design modification to the bifold glass door closure area, and a film-grid panel design modification for soot and creosote control.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The usual presentation of any fireplace when using wood for heating a room is to provide a sufficient source of heat for warming purposes. When a fireplace has glass door protection, little heat is emitted because the glass doors tend to prevent the infra-red heat waves from passing out through the combustion area glass doors. Heat waves will not willingly pass through glass of any sort. Opening the glass doors will give a “blast” of heat momentarily if opened, but nearly all the heat generated is immediately “lost” up the flue.

Heat loss up the flue is not easily controlled where flames are concerned with the damper “after the fire”. There is better heat regulation with damper control “before the fire”. Residual heat from glowing coals, or glowing charcoal embers is a steady source of infra-red heat waves and continues radiation for a much longer time. This form of infra-red heat easily passes through the Enigma Panel, hence the ideal use of the Enigma Panel design. Similarly, infrared heat radiation through the grate heats the discharge ends of the tubing into the attending room with less problem of heat loss.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE PROBLEM

The Applicant has tested several experimental designs in order to solve this problem of trying to get good quantities of radiant ‘infrared’ energy waves to pass undistorted through glass panes, for example, modern day fireplace combustor tempered-glass doors. The answer is not to use glass of any sort. Infrared heat waves become distorted and cannot pass freely through glass. However, all the popular fireplace insert makers continue to use thick tempered-glass commonly in all their beautiful fireplace brochures. Glass is a “killer” to radiant infrared heat waves. Quite by accident thin film was tried as a reasonable test door and for a fireplace. It was an acceptable success except for plastic memory and flame damage. Trials using mil-thick transparent film and a metal support grid in close contact can give suitable results until industry can devise a better heat-tolerant transparent plastic panel. The metal support grid is necessary to support the plastic panel (when used together “in-service”) and prevents the softened plastic from being sucked in toward the flame and damaged. The metal grid also acts as a “heat sink” and prevents the plastic from taking a permanent “set” (stretch) when it cools down.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Applicant has been taking experimental approaches to solve this problem of trying to get good quantities of radiant ‘infrared’ energy to pass through the glass panes of modern day fireplace heat-tempered glass doors. The obvious answer is not using glass of any sort because infrared heat waves cannot pass freely through glass, yet all the popular fireplace insert makers use thick tempered glass commonly in all their beautiful fireplace brochures. Infrared heat is strong and powerful by itself, but when it tries to pass through glass it loses its energy, in other words glass is a “killer” to radiant infrared heat waves. Quite by accident thin film was tried as a reasonable test door and for a fireplace it was an acceptable success except for plastic memory and flame damage. Trials using mil-thick transparent film and a metal support grid in close contact give suitable results until industry can devise a better heat-tolerant transparent plastic panel. Until then the best heat pass-through is the “film grid” combination or “Enigma Panel”.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 6 is an exploded ¾ front view drawing. Basically it shows the Surround 14 modified to provide a storage pocket 28 into which the Enigma Panel snugly fits for in-use and storage when the bi-fold doors 15 are closed. Brackets 26 are cut into the vertical top portion of each vertical part 14 and bent at a right angle to receive the pin ends of the window blind roll 27 onto which a thin clear plastic sheet is wrapped 31 in place of the usual opaque fabric material. A metal stiffener 30 has a magnet 29 on each end and imbedded in the end of the plastic sheet for a pull-down. A cover 35 for the blind fits on, over and between the two said brackets 26.

FIG. 7 shows the two metal identical frames 33 able to be mounted back to back. The temperature-tolerant clear plastic film 31 is shown adhered to a special flat recessed surface of the frames 33. Two-faced tape B shows how the plastic is removably adhered to frame 33. Rigid screen mesh 34 is fixedly bonded to the other said identical frame similar recessed flat surface but bonded with epoxy cement A. Alignment guide 32 is fixedly bonded to the rigid screen frame at parallel mating surfaces 33 and 32, C. 

1. I claim an Enigma Panel comprised of two rectangular mirror-imaged metal frames mounted back-to-back, these said identical metal frames have a special smooth recessed surface extending around the inner periphery of each of the said two metal frames, all designed as special components of a fireplace front door surround closure.
 2. One of the said two metal surround frames has a rectangular sheet of one or two mil clear temperature tolerant plastic film attached to it using two-faced, plastic sponge tape portions extending end to end around the special smooth flat recessed surface of the said rectangular surface, resulting in a perfect air seal.
 3. The other of the said two metal frames has a rectangular shaped woven wire panel fashioned and bonded to cover the rectangular recessed inner peripheral surface using epoxy bonding cement or equivalent for rectangular bracing.
 4. The item of claim 3 wherein an alignment trough is bonded to the bottom exterior portion of the said frame.
 5. A modification to a fireplace surround closure area able to accept the said identical frame Enigma Panel pairs as in a “pocket” for storage or use behind the usual said glass doors when closed.
 6. A window blind type of modification as a part of the said surround by replacing the usual opaque blind material with said temperature tolerant film.
 7. Any combination of plastic film and support screen allowing and implementing the passage of infrared heat energy waves. 